The dismissal of yours truly and the chain reaction that followed is perhaps one of the most infamous college dismissals. It is certainly one of the most frustrating. Over the years after that fateful Thursday morning, a suspect confessed and recanted several times. But as of March 2011, the prime suspect of my IWU dismissal is identified.Two bags of Lay's Potato Chips and two 12-12 ounce cans of Coca-Cola were on sale at Lance's New Market and K-Mart, respectively for $10.50 on the week that changed my life forever. I can also say that on September 27, 2001, my wife was at the south side Marion Marsh picking up a jar of Ragu Spagetti Sauce (for 88 cents each) and bananas (38 cents a pound) and the CVS pharmacy next door to get a couple of two-liters of Coca-Cola (which were also on sale at $1.99 for two,) and then stopping at the Speedway station to get gas for car. It would be the very last time that my wife and to a much more servere extent, yours truly would ever set foot in that area.
In September of 2001, I was among the more than 700 freshmen and new students at Indiana Weslean University. There was a lot of construction, remodeling, and apparently as it turned out may be the potential cause of what I always have belived to this day ten years later that caused my dis-enrollment from Indiana Wesleyan University,.There were many services that should have been available for yours truly, such as a commuter's lounge at IWU (that was not available), and the suggestion of a food pantry. Had those been available PRIOR to ten years ago today, I would have offically be posting as an alumnus of Indiana Wesleyan University.
I was a typical 18-year-old college freshman whose life revolved around media and education. I lived with my mother, Margaret, my brother, Albert, and to a lesser extent, my newlywed wife, Angela, in a comfortable three bedroom home on North Branson Street in the near northeast side of Marion.The household also consisted with my youngest pet nephew (Albert's boy), Baxter, turning 3 that October, and my boy, Timothy Rags, turning two that November. Angela had her own place in Gas City.
September 27, 2001 started like any other fall morning for the Zinn's. My mother, Margaret, 58, planned her day over a cup of coffee and in poor health. Yours truly, went to college as usual just sixteen days after the horrific tragedy of 9/11. Angela was helping Albert getting prepared for his new job at Leroy's, while Baxter and Rags were watched cartoons on the family couch. Angela was heading to the gym, but needed to run a few errands for herself before going to her doctor's appointment over in Gas City.
Angela fed Rags a hot dog and took him out for a walk while Baxter watching the Game Show Network. Rushed for time, Angela let it go. And besides, it was unusually mild, around 57-60 degrees already. Angela, Albert, and I got into what was considered to be the family car, a tan 1981 Ford F-150, and took off to run errands.Angela had to get her car (a Chevy Lumina) out of Intergrity. At the time there were family issues with my step-grandfather, in which I will explain in more details at a later date.
After dropping off yours truly at IWU , Albert dropped Angela off to the Marsh store in the Panamora Plaza, to see about some items they had on sale, (the spagetti sauce and bananas). Angela entered the store and walked past the customer service desk and entered the grocery department. It was around 9:00 a.m. There was a tons of construction at the Indiana Wesleyan University Student Center which lacked a Commuter's Lounge. Also hampering were family budget trouble (at least with yours truly and Angie), which did not help matters at all.
What Are the Next Steps?
In the fall of 2001, yours truly was living the Hoosier dream. I was starting to build a degree in Special Education and had the potential to building a successful teaching career.
Only five to ten minutes after being informed that I was dis-enrolled from Indiana Wesleyan University, most of my friends from school were wondering "Where's Frank?". They had no idea that I was no longer enrolled from Indiana Wesleyan University. I informed my professors and a few of my friends at IWU that I had been suspended. I will never forget my mother's expression when she threw her hands as if she was successful (and did not even care) that I was dismissed from Indiana Wesleyan University; my wife, on the other hand, was extremely devastated (and this was only four months after I got married) and I was pretty sure that the marriage would not work.
My search for another college that September afternoon grew into a years-long search for answers: Who caused yours truly to be dis-enrolled from IWU? Why did this happen? When will I return to IWU? But in the months (later years) that followed, the harsh reality set in.
Finally, A Break?
As the months and years went by with little progress on my IWU readmission, in August of 2002, a woman I took to the Mississinewa 500 (Brittani), reportedly confessed to causing my dis-enrollment from IWU. It was the beginning of a whole new emotional roller coaster for yours truly, and assistance from Cornerstone was needed after Dr. Maloney apparently screwed my education up and Vocational Rehabiliatation did not offer a solution. It was also the beginning of a much bigger change that changed my family's landscape forever.
After numerous consulting over at Cornerstone, a client of the mental health facility told me to take the university to civil court for "wrongful dismissal" even though the Indiana Statues of Limitations expired on September 27, 2007.
Denied Closure
That very night my brother, Albert, took his own life in August of 2002 sat off at a dramatic event in my life lead to more weaknesses exposed, such as more financial problems that stemmed from not only my IWU dismissal and failing to find another college plus the deaths of my mother and brother: The person responsible for my IWU dismissal had been located and confessed. I thought we were on the way to closure.
Yours truly, then a 19 year-old and my wife, then 24, newly-wed had separated a month after Albert's death, but reconciled after I came out as a transgednered lady. But there was still no IWU readmission. Without a new college to attend, thus the college credits from IVY Tech needed to transfer back to IWU, my 21st Century Scholars scholarship would soon be expired.
On November 1, 2003, a little over two years after my IWU dismissal, the woman (according to reports) recanted, saying she did not kill my IWU enrollment.
From Frank to Ava... Making Progress, but still no closure
In the summer of 2003, in a conversation with Blake Pattison, in what would prove to be my last one as "Frank," and months later realized I could no longer deal with the devastating setbacks that followed my IWU dismissal. It was either "commit suicide or make a change" I obviously chose the latter after an earlier attempt back in 1995. I eventually concluded that I would be a lackluster student in the event should I return to IWU. In July of 2005, someone I went to IWU with joined the Grant Blackford Mental Health staff by the name of Paige Lank--a fellow Indiana Wesleyan University Alum from the Class of 2003--and a year earlier changed my name from "Frank Zinn to Aeverine 'Ava' (Zinn) Nieves". With new changes in place, family, relationship, and lifestyle qualities began to improve, but still had no college experience, but made significant progress. Despite a stronger qualities now as "Ava", yours truly barely registered as a blip in the steps needed to return to IWU.
In February 2005, yours truly changed gender roles to the female role citing low quality as a male. While leaving Angela (now as a lesbian, though she came out as a bisexual back in 1993) after my gender change is complete, the gender switch gave the would have my mother her first daughter (once the change is completed). My mother always wanted a little girl but had only two sons, Albert and yours truly. Ironically, the gender identity switch actually helped yours truly, which had languished for years as "Frank".
Family Support Lost, Statues of Limitations pass, A Painful Mystery Remains
What may be the most bizarre twist in the IWU Cold Case occurred after 2003. Since most of my immediate family have since passed away, there was now a lack of family support With the loss of family support, the opportunity to return to IWU once and for all is now gone. That lead to another change that would change Indiana's LGBT communities, I announced I was undergoing a gender change.
The investigation of my IWU dismissal was riddled with mistakes and missed opportunities, not because of a direct maliciousness towards the family, but because like many large colleges and universities Indiana Wesleyan University held onto their pride, wanting to handle the case their way.
Many believe someone from IWU lacked a "commuter's lounge" during construction that may have been avoided (had I been offered a favorable solution available or remedied before 9/27/01) or most likely someone from Mississinewa High School intentionally (either a professor of mine or an alumnus I went to school with) gave me wrong advice in the fall of 2000 and now painfully aware that tons of bureaucracy and red tape has been caused since they lacked the experience to even know when to ask for help.
More Problems Than Solutions
In the summer of 2009, with an ongoing gender transition from "Frank to Ava" saw an opportunity to attend a new college called Franklin University of Ohio. Franklin University had just opened a new Indianapolis location in the Caselton area, and eventually was accepted to Franklin University. There was just one problem - transportation.
On June 10, 2010, I took the placement testing and found out the lack of college education caused more problems and actually got worse as my Math, English, and Computer Skills went down the drain as I scored below the prerequisites of Franklin University's academic standards. I had sat up a telephone appointment to register for classes with Franklin University for August 16, 2010 only for someone from Grant Blackford caused me to miss the appointment. The appointment was eventually rescheduled to September 8, 2010 and was slated to finally start the next steps to transfer back to IWU.
Those plans came to a halt on September 8, 2010, however. On that day, Jay Dunlap, an enrollment advisor at Franklin University, informed me over the telephone that due to my placement testing scores on June 10, 2010, I would physically attend Franklin University of Ohio's Indianapolis campus. This would result in commuting from Marion to the Indianapolis/Caselton area and a very expensive travel budget. Mr. Dunlap offered a solution - needed to find a nearby community college or university, but neither IVY TECH nor IWU, were interested at first. Fearing I would never be able to find another college to attend in Marion (which very well may be the case), I began to follow-up on IVY TECH (now known as Ivy Tech Community College) since a few of my colleagues at Carey Services and public transportation being available.
New Developments in 2011
Earlier this year, one big piece of the cause of my dis-enrollment from Indiana Wesleayan University was solved. In March, the person that primarily caused my dis-enrollment from Indiana Wesleyan Univeristy was none other than Brittani Gerstorff. It was revealed that Gerstorff did not fulfill prom date duties by arriving nearly three hours late and retracted accounts of her involvement. A whistleblower, whom I am not going to mention, provided seemingly accurate descriptions as to how Gerstorff committed the ultimate betrayal of yours truly, and according to a private detective named Randy Weinstein described Gerstoff as a "prom bandit." Several witnesses also place Gerstorff at the Red Lobster in Muncie instead of the Applebee's in Marion in the hours leading up to what would have otherwise turn out to be a excellent prom night for yours truly. Afterwards, a trusted source told me that Gerstorff made a confession to what would be the primary cause of my disenrollment from Indiana Wesleyan University. Gerstorff's confession, however, had been viewed with skepticism. Although no new evidence was presented, on March 23, 2011, my case coordinator over at cornertone's Community Support Program and IWU alum announced, with yours truly present, that the case (as far as the prime suspect to my dis-enrollment from IWU) was now closed. An external review of the case had been conducted and the case coordiator announced that they were satisfied that Ms. Gerstorff was the prime suspect. However, during my high school reunion in July, it was revealed that.... It'll be on my YouTube channel soon.
As for attending Franklin University of Ohio in Indianapolis, that may soon become a reality pending more research needed. Only one town--Fort Wayne--is somehere I need to visit and make a final decision.
As always, stay with Aeverine.info for all stories on the IWU Dismissal: 10 Years Later. Follow Aeverine on Facebook (
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SOURCES
Chronicle-Tribune September 5, 2001 Page A3
CVS/pharmacy ad, September 23, 2001
Marsh Supermarket ad, September 24, 2001
Lance's New Market ad, September 24, 2001
After letting Ann Leavitt over at Cornerstone that she was naughty (and did not get a Christmas Card at all, starting in 2011, it will have the autograph of yours truly that began with the American Idol audition in Pittsburgh) on "Santa Ava's Christmas List," clad in a Santa hat, red top with a red turtleneck underneath, red pants, with make-up and eyelashes done, and looked dolled-up It was time to deliver Christmas presents to my colleagues at Carey Services.... for the first time ever. It should be noted that I am in familiar company at Carey Services as two of my colleagues, Garon Losure and Sheena Burdette, all went to school with yours truly, while Bill Rock, Kim Jackson, and Jackie Dickerson,
Juli (Jackson): 
